PET for Anaplastic Lymphoma – pro
Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCLs) are distinguished from other lymphomas by their anaplastic cytology and constant membrane expression of the CD30 antigen (an activation marker for B or T cells). Striking clinical features include frequent cutaneous and extranodal involvement, young age at presentation, and male predominance. Because of this propensity for widespread invovlement in unexpected locations, recent article(Fenneye at al) recommends PET for this lymphoma. This lymphoma subtype appears to be well characterized by PET. NCCN(T-CELL 4) says that PET/CT is useful in selected cases for staging of T-cell lymphoma, of which it ascribes Anaplastic Lymphoma to be a subtype. However, NCCN does not recommend surveillance for this rare lymphoma or specifically recommend PET for surveillance. In fact, it recommends clinical followuup only.
Larsson P, Holzgraefe B, Kalzén H, Donnelly M, Porwit A, Jacobsson H.
PET/CT examination in an anaplastic malignant lymphoma with extensive reactive involvement.Clin Nucl Med. 2008 Sep;33(9):619-20.
John Feeney, Steven Horwitz, Mithat Gönen, and Heiko Schöder
Original Research: Characterization of T-Cell Lymphomas by FDG PET/CT
AJR August 2010 195:333-340;
Larsson, Patric, PET/CT Examination in an Anaplastic Malignant Lymphoma With Extensive Reactive Involvement, September 2008 – Volume 33 – Issue 9 – pp 619-620
nccn, non-Hodgkin lymphoma 2013